Who gets colds sores?

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Around 80% of the UK population carry the simplex herpes virus but for many people the virus lies dormant in the nerves and never develops into cold sores on the lips or mouth

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1 in 5 people in the UK have frequently recurring cold sores

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Cold sores affect all age groups. The vast majority of individuals will suffer their first attack between 10-19 years, but a cold sore can be triggered at any stage of your life

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Cold sores are usually passed on in early childhood when the child is kissed by someone with an active cold sore

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The cold sore virus goes through the skin and travels up the nerve, where it will lie dormant until triggered

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Cold sores will not usually appear until after puberty when one of a number of reasons might contribute to an attack, such as:

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On average sufferers have 9 cold sores a year, however most commonly people have a cold sore every 2-3 months

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The average length of an outbreak is 6-7 days

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Only 50% of cold sore sufferers treat their cold sore